


ready or not, loaded heart

by sugargroupie



Category: Castle
Genre: Female Character of Color, Female Friendship, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-28
Updated: 2014-04-28
Packaged: 2018-01-21 04:36:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1537805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugargroupie/pseuds/sugargroupie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>lanie came looking for beckett and got tory ellis instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	ready or not, loaded heart

**Author's Note:**

> i suppose it doesn't matter what i initially planned with this fic since the result is this: lanie/kate friendship fic with lanie/tory pre-slash vibes. lanie does what she wants.

After one late night too many at the morgue within a week's time, Lanie decides that what she needs are a couple of drinks and some quality time with her friend. And knowing Kate Beckett as she does, the detective is usually at one of two places these days: Castle's loft, or the 12th Precinct.

A couple of quick text messages later and Lanie's leaving the OCME building for the Twelfth.

Lanie spends the cab ride over and the short distance up the elevator narrowing down the choices of where to go. Somewhere lowkey probably; she's not in the mood for outside attention tonight. If she's honest with herself she hasn't been in the mood for months.

Lanie sighs when the doors open to the fourth floor. She needs to get her shit together.

Her eyes skirt over to Kevin and Javier's empty desks as she strolls by, heading straight for Kate, who's sitting on the edge of her desk facing the whiteboard. It's a familiar enough image to Lanie, seeing her friend deep in thought, flummoxed by the pieces of her case not quite fitting together. All that's missing is a mug of coffee and her partner. Speaking of…

"Hey," Lanie calls, matching her subdued tone with the quietness of the bullpen.

"Hey, Lanie," Kate greets warmly.

"I suppose I should be glad you were still at work so I wouldn't have to travel too far, but I thought you'd be at home by now with your nose in a book." A sly look towards her friend as she continues teasingly, "Or under a Castle."

She feels like she's just channeled the man himself but Kate's amused gasp; followed by, "can you not," makes her giggle, and she doesn't regret her comment. Lanie's not buying the scandalized tone of her voice either. They've had much racier conversations than this over the years.

"Something about this isn't adding up," Kate offers with an agitated glance at the board.

"Okay, well take a break and let's go grab a drink. We could both use it."

Lanie hopes she hasn't revealed too much with that last statement, the underlying need she hears in her own voice for some kind of escapism. For all that she runs her mouth, she's actually not in the mood to discuss her problems. And if anyone can understand that, it's Kate.

"I would, but…"

Lanie shakes her head. "Come on, girl, what was the point of asking me to come over if you're just gonna blow me off?"

Before Kate can respond the sound of a door shutting draws Lanie's attention towards the workroom and she sees Tory Ellis closing up for the night.

Lanie turns back to Kate with a raised brow. Why is --

Kate rises from her position against her desk, calls out, "Tory, I didn't realize you were still here."

The video tech shrugs and waves one hand in the direction of the workroom. "Just making sure I got the extra equipment we'll need for tomorrow. I'm heading out now."

"Or," Lanie speaks up, "you can join us for drinks. We were just leaving too."

But Kate's already backing out, mind half occupied with the whiteboard as she shakes her stubborn head. It makes Lanie want to sigh, loudly.

Work can sometimes make Kate Beckett a lousy friend, but an incredible detective, and Lanie's learned how to pick her battles. "Fine," she replies with a huff. "Tory and I will have fun without you."

Tory shifts her gaze between the two friends and Lanie winks at her teasingly.

Kate murmurs something under her breath, turns her head away as if hiding her face.

She better not be laughing.

Whatever, Lanie doesn't have time to dig. There's a story there, as Castle's fond of saying, but it'll have to wait. She turns to Tory, who wears a tentative smile on her face; probably wondering what she's gotten herself into.

* * *

Lanie came looking for Beckett and got Tory Ellis instead. 

That sounds very wrong -- not to mention unfair to Tory -- in her head but it's the truth.

Tory, whom Lanie has met a handful of times and likes well enough, but wouldn't exactly fall into the category of friend.

But Tory smiles at Lanie and her whole face changes; lights up from the inside at Lanie's invitation -

(and yeah, the offer came on the heels of Kate suggesting the other woman as her replacement but Lanie's not going to quibble about the details).

But this might be better, Lanie thinks, because she can focus on getting to know Tory better while avoiding her own problems.

Her frustrating, Javier Esposito-shaped, problems.

No. She's not doing this to herself tonight. "Ready to go," she asks Tory and hits the call button for the elevator.

"Sure," the other woman nods, says over her shoulder, "good night Detective."

Kate's attention is fully back on the details of the case spread before her but she waves absently. Calls out, "Lanie, I'll make it up to you."

Lanie shares a look with Tory as they board the elevator. "Damn right you will."

* * *

Tory's laugh is contagious.

Lanie's just ordered her third drink - breaking her two-drinks in public limit - but it's the only explanation for why she hasn't stopped laughing. She's tipsy but not drunk, and while Tory's anecdotes are very amusing they aren't _that_ funny.

Mostly it just feels good to not talk shop, to hear stories about people she doesn't know. To make a new friend when least expected.

They've shared bits and pieces of their backgrounds (Tory's mother is Argentinian, and she has three older brothers; Celestine Parish only ever wanted one child and she's never let Lanie forget it, or escape her expectations.) - but mostly their conversations have been firmly rooted in the present.

And Lanie's so grateful for the reprieve she's been given, for the distance she's allowed to be this separate person tonight. It almost feels like a date, she thinks idly. 

But no, that's not what this is, and what is she even thinking.

Their evening winds down and Tory grins at her as she signs the receipt for her share of the tab. "This was fun, Lanie. Thanks for asking me out."

Lanie mentally trips over the phrasing but doesn't dwell on it, simply grins back. "I know, we should do this again."

So they make tentative plans for next Friday and Lanie refuses to overthink this anymore than she already has. She and Tory help guide each other out the booth with fingertips touching. But she remains steady as she quickly thumbs Tory's number into her phone.

And it hits her then, what she's been feeling all evening, the anticipation that's been building.

The satisfaction that usually envelops her after a successful dat--.

A date. _Well damn_.

They part ways at the corner down the block from the bar, and Lanie bites her lip at the lingering glance Tory sends over her shoulder.

This could be interesting, Lanie decides. That, and she's going to have words with Kate Beckett for setting her up.

 

-f-


End file.
